Well screen



NOV. 30, 1943. B, YOUNG 2,335,558

WELL SCREEN Filed Aug. 50, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jig. Inventor 14 574cc? you/ A iiomey B. B. YOUNG WELL SCREEN Nov. 30, 1943.

Filed Aug. 50, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 In ventor -5race B 704 A iforney Patentcd Nov. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WELL SCREEN Bruce B. Young, Tulsa, Okla. Application August 30, 1940, Serial No. 354,878

2 Claims.

My invention relates generally to means for screening and/or filtering fluids, and particularly to improvements in screens for use in oil, gas and water wells, and the primary object of my invention is to provide arrangements of this character wherein the filtering or straining medium has novel form and composition whereby oil bearing sand of any fineness and other material in the fluid in a well may be prevented from passing, the composition being adjustable to filter out any fineness of oil bearing sand or other similar material.

Another important object of my invention is to provide arrangements of the character indicated above which may be adjusted in composition to act as a bottom hole choke, in high pressure gas or oil wells so as to permit only a desired amount of screened fluid or gas per minute to pass to the surface, and so that the oil or water reaches the surface free of any foreign or abrasive matter.

Another important object of my invention is to provide in an arrangement of the character indicated a sectional sleeve of permeable material ih which the sections have overlapping joints positively preventing leakage at the point of connection of the sections.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the appended drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general side elevational view of a bottom hole choke or the like in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged contracted transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 1 longitudinally.

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken through Figure 1 along the line 3 -'-3 and looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a side elevational 'view of one of the permeable sleeve sections.

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 4 along the line 55 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designates the device of the invention which is composed of an inner retainer sleeve 6 which has circumferentially spaced rows of longitudinally spaced and vertically staggered slots 1 through which the .well fluid passes to the space 8 between the outside of the sleeve 6 and the permeable sectional outer sleeve 9. A back pressure valve II) has a seat II at the lower end of the sleeve 6, the ball I0 being pressed in place by a helical spring l2 working between the ball and the tapered bottom portion l3 of the valve housing l4, the valve housing [4 being formed on the beveled terminal [5 which is affixed to the lower end of the sleeve 6 and is larger in diameter so as to provide a shoulder I6 for engagement by the end of the adjacent section of the permeable sleeve 9. On the upper end of the sleeve 6 is an enlarged abutment I! also providing a shoulder l8 for engagement by the upper end of the uppermost section of the permeable sleeve 8, the abutment I! being internally threaded to receive the well pipe coupling l9.

The permeable sleeve 9 may be formed of a number of sections like those shown in Figure 5. In this instance the sections 24 are formed of Carborundum or silica carbide of the desired texture and fineness, which can be readily controlled by manufacturing processes so as to filter any desired fineness of oil bearing sand or the like which might have a tendency to go through other types of well screens.

In the form of section shown in Figure 5, the same is characterized by a cylindrical form 25 having its inner surface 28 of a diameter slightly larger than that of the sleeve 6 so as to form the space 8, the inner surface 26 being provided with circumferentially spaced longitudinal grooves 21 to define the ribs 28. As shown in full and in dotted lines in Figure 3 of the drawings some of the slots 1 are blocked off by the ribs 28 while others of the slots 1 communicate with the grooves 21. Otherwise stated, the inner surface of the cylindrical form 25 is provided with radially inwardly extending longitudinal ribs 28 which between them define the passages or channels 21, with the radially inward surfaces of the ribs spaced as already indicated from the sides of the sleeve 6. On the lower ends of the section 25 the ribs stop at a point indicated by the numeral 29 which is elevated above the lower edge 30 of the reduced depending flange 3| which defines with the lower end of the cylindrical form the shoulder 32. The flange 3| is to seat into the conformably shaped upper end of the next below section 25. The upper end of the section 24 has the ribs terminating at the point indicated by the numeral 33, substantially spaced below the upper edge 34 of the section. the upper end of the form having a circular opening 35 of substantialiy the same inside diameter as the outside diameter of the depending flange 3| to closely accept this flange 3| of the superjacent section. Below the opening 35 is a reduced diameter opening 38 which with the opening 35 defines a shoulder 3'! on which the lower edge 30 of the flange 3| is arranged to rest. With these arrangements the sections are assembled together with lapped joints positively preventing the passage of fluid therethrough.

The fluid under pressure in the well, whether gas, oil or water, passes through the minute pores of the permeable Carborundum or silica carbide sleeve 9 in a radially inward direction and enters the space between the permeable sleeve 9 and the perforated sleeve 6 and passes thence through the perforations of the sleeve 6, whence it is forced or drawn upwardly through the pipe 19. The size of the pores in the permeable sleeve 9 having been predetermined by the fineness and texture of the Carborundum or silica carbide particles used in forming the Sleeve 9, the size and character of the abrasive material in the fluid blocked from passing to the interior of the sleeve 9, as well as the rate of fluid flow through the sleeve 9, and thereby predetermined.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be-definitely understood that I do not wish to limit the application of the invention thereto except as may be required by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A high pressure filtering device for use in fluid wells to separate finely divided substances from the fluid comprising a cylindrical retainer having longitudinal rows of perforation spaced circumferentially about the same, and a filtering I sleeve surrounding the retainer comprising a monolithic shell of permeability predetermined in accordance with the degree of fineness of the substances to be separated, said sleeve being formed with internal longitudinal ribs spaced circumferentially around the same to provide 1ongitudinal fluid passages therebetween, said" ribs being flat-faced and engaging said retainer fiat opposite some 01' the rows of openings and intermediate other rows.

2. A high pressure filtering device 'for us in fluid wells to separate finely divided substances from the fluid comprising a cylindrical retainer having longitudinal rows of perforations spaced circumferentially about the same, and a filtering sleeve surrounding the retainer comprising a monolithic shell of permeability predetermined in accordance with the degree of fineness of'the substances to be separated, said sleeve being formed with internal longitudinal ribs spaced circumferentially around the same to provide longitudinal fiuid passages therebetween, said ribs being fiat-faced and engaging'said retainer flat opposite some of the rows of openings and intermediate other rows, said openings having the form of elongated slots extending lengthwise lo gitudinally of the retainer and being staggered in alternate rows relative to interveningrows. j

BRUCE B. YOUNG. 

